God Eater: Transcendence
by Iris Weiss
Summary: Post GE Burst Timeskip After suffering from a life-threatening accident, the Leader of the First Unit of the Far East Branch is facing new challenges: new, stronger breeds of Aragami to devour, a new figure pulling the strings from the shadows, and a disease that threatens the life of the Leader. Together with a new God Arc technology, Fenrir's battle against the gods continue.
1. Chapter 1

Everything was a blur.

My half-opened can't focus on anything; my world was slowly spinning round and round. I can't feel my body; I can't move a muscle. I feel weak to the point of passing out, but for some reason, I feel that if I decide to give in now, I'm not too sure when I'll wake up again.

"...leader...!"

"...hang in there!"

"...don't you dare die!"

I can hear faint voices coming from all directions, but I can't seem to tell to whom those voices belong. I tried to move my head to see who those people are, but everything was hazy and my eyes are starting to close. I can tell at this point that it's only a matter of time before I pass out. I tried to reach out to something, but to no avail. I was simply too tired that keeping myself awake was already a chore.

This isn't good. I don't know what happened, but nothing god comes into mind. Why can't I help but think that this is going to be the end of the line for me?

Soon, everything faded to black and I succumbed to unconsciousness.

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring at a familiar white ceiling. I can't remember when, but I'm positive somehow this similar scene has happened to me before. I tried moving, but my body won't respond. It feels like this body is not my own; it's too heavy.

I looked around, and soon I realized that this is a familiar territory. This is the place I love, the place I protect, the place closest for me to call home -the Fenrir Far East Branch. To be more specific, I'm in the sickbay. I don't know what happened, but I suddenly remembered the incident when the base was infiltrated by a swarm of Aragami, and at the conclusion of that event, I found myself waking up to this place. Could it be that something similar happened to me this time, and this is where I ended up again?

I was able to ounce enough strength to bring half of my body up. At that same moment, I saw a familiar face sleeping peacefully on the side of my bed. She really looked worn out -she must be looking out for me the whole time I was asleep. I'm starting to think that I'm making everyone around me too much.

I stared at her for a little while, until I noticed that she was starting to wake up. She lifted her head and looked back at me, half-awake. I flashed her a little smile.

"Good morning Alisa." I greeted her.

It was only after hearing my voice that she realized that I'm awake now. Her eyes widened and jumped on me, wrapping her small arms tightly around my still-weak body.

"Hey, hey, easy there." I told her. She quickly eased up her tight grip and pulled back. Her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were a little watery, clear signs that she was worried for me.

Suddenly, Alisa hammered her clenched fist helpless arms. "Just try acting reckless once more and you'll have it coming from me."

Alisa's words were much more threatening than any Aragami I'd encountered. After hearing those words, and I instantly believed that she meant those words. Girls can be really scary sometimes.

I then noticed that she the tears welling up in her eyelids were already trailing down her cheeks. I guess not only her, but everyone was worried about what happened. However, I still can't remember what happened to me that got me ending up like this.

"How long was I out?" I asked Alisa.

She wiped the tears off her face and calmed herself down. "Well, you were asleep for almost a month now."

Wait, did I hear Alisa right? I was in this state for a month?

"It didn't look like you were waking up anytime soon, so I was just surprised to see you suddenly up and about." Alisa added, but I barely heard the rest. I was more occupied trying to remember what happened that past month, but the only thing that comes to me is a blank memory and a shooting pain in the head.

And then the pain in my escalated into something worse. My chest started to tighten, it felt like my heart was being ripped off my body. I suddenly had difficulty breathing, and started to sweat profusely. My painful moans were died in my drying throat and everything around me was starting to go black.

I don't like this unpleasant feeling.

"Hey, are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?" I can faintly see Alisa's concerned look probably because my face was agonizing in pain. "Hey, stay with me!"

Soon, the pain was unbearable to the point that my body gave out and I passed out once more.

_Within the shadows was a man standing._

_There was something weird about his style of clothing, fashioning a black shirt and a red necktie underneath a white coat. He was wearing gloves to cover his hands, and his hair was neatly fixed. It was unusual because it seemed like he was going to attend a formal meeting of some sort, but since the Aragami invasion happened a couple of years ago, no one never looked this neat and well. It's as if he's living in a world free of Aragami, just like how the old times were._

_I can't see his face, but I can tell that he was looking at me. And for some irritating reason, he was smiling. No, it was wrong to call it a smile. He was grinning at me. I don't know why, but his smirk was making me feel like he's looking down on me. And then he slowly faded out. I tried to follow him, but my legs were slowly consumed by the darkness. I extended my hands out just so I can reach him, but slowly, he faded away into the void._

I woke up breathing heavily. I was sweating profusely. I know I just woke up from a strange dream, but I can't seem to remember what that dream was about. I looked around and Alisa was there, still wearing that concerned look on her face. I noticed that Soma and Kota were present as well, and I was being surrounded by numerous medical staff. I quickly sat up and tried to calm myself down.

"What happened?" I asked everyone around me.

"Well, you looked like you were in some kind of pain until you passed out a couple of minutes ago." It's good to know that I wasn't out that long.

I was already sleeping for an entire month; I feel like I don't want to sleep anytime soon. I know that the God Eaters of the Far East Branch are reliable and skilled, but I can't just sleep here all day while they're out there risking their lives to protect the people from the Aragami threat everyday.

The doctors conducted a series of tests on me. In the end, I'm not returning to the front lines anytime soon. They were going to monitor my status for the time being, and no one can tell when I'll be able to return to active duty again. I don't like the idea of keeping me here in the sickbay while the Aragami threat can come anytime soon. I know in my current state, even if I'm the leader of the First Unit, I'll just be dragging them down.

Soma came inside the sickbay. I can tell he came here with questions, but I don't know if I can provide the answers.

"What happened that day?" Soma asked frankly. As always, he's not beating around the bush.

Ah, how I wish I know the answer to that as well. As of now, I have zero idea what transpired that day. Not a single memory comes to mind. The only thing I can remember was the time I woke up, which was just hours ago. I have been sleeping for a month because of that incident. I want to know. No, I need to know. I have to know.

I couldn't answer Soma, I could only look down irritated. I can tell he understands that I don't know what happened myself. It's a good thing that Soma's sharp and I don't have to explain everything to him.

"There's some people here who likes to meet you. Maybe they can help you jog your memory a bit." Soma told me, before leaving the room to call out the people he was referring to.

Two people came inside, one boy and one girl. They were two of the newest New-type God Eaters that were transferred here in the Far East Branch.

"If I can remember correctly, you're Wallace Maxwell and Maria Scarlet, right?" The two of them nodded their heads. It was easy to tell that they were uncomfortable being in the same room as me, but I don't know what makes them feel that way.

I suddenly remembered something. That day, I was asked to take the two New-type God Eaters and accompany them on their first mission. Normally, it was Lindow's job to teach the new recruits the essence of survival and what it takes to be a God Eater. On that day, Lindow and Sakuya were working on a mission together, and that made me the perfect candidate for the job. I had no reason to refuse either.

My train of memories stopped there.

"I was ordered to accompany the two New-type God Eater on their first mission. Those two New-Types are you guys, right?" I asked them, trying to confirm if my memories are correct. The two of them nodded. "Unfortunately, that's all I remember."

Soma had a serious look on his face.

"In the middle of the mission, you suddenly requested for immediate backup. You said you were under attack by a strange group of unknown Aragami." Soma told me. However, no matter how hard I try to remember, I just can't seem to remember.

"Um, sir, are you sure you don't remember?" The New-type boy asked me a strange question. If there was a new breed of Aragami involved, I'd already be discussing this with Director Paylor. "You managed to kill a few of those new Ogretail-type Aragamis and drive the swarm away, but..."

I don't like the pause in the boy's words. Something feels off. It's giving me the feeling that I did something I shouldn't have.

"You ordered us to retreat to our starting point and wait for the backup to arrive." Maria added. However, I still can't remember anything.

"While we were retreating, we saw you engage a mysterious man." Wallace continued. I still can't remember anything after hearing all of these. Instead, the sharp pain in my head is starting to return.

"When backup arrived, they found you unconscious on the ground, sustained near-fatal wounds and busted your God Arc to the point that it's almost unusable. We're asking you this because we want to know whatever the hell it was that's capable of doing this to the leader of the First Unit." Soma added. After hearing all of these, the pain in my head only intensified that I can no longer understand what they're talking about.

I minced in pain, and the medical staff stormed inside the room.

"What are you doing here? No one is allowed to visit him for the time being. Please leave the room immediately." The doctors told Soma and the others. The two complied right away and exited the room; Soma stopped by the door and turned back towards me.

"I know this is asking too much, but we need you to get your memories back ASAP. We have to prepare as much as possible for whatever it was that did this to you." Soma told me. I know; after hearing all of those things, I also feel the same.

Soma then left the room, and after the doctors were able to make sure that I was fine, they left the room as well.

Three days have passed, and I was no one came in to visit me. It was easy to hypothesize that I'm being quarantined for the moment. I don't know why they're doing this to me, but the Far East Branch must have a reason for doing so. The only time someone enters my room is when a medical staff checks up on me or brings me food. They don't stay inside longer than five minutes. They don't even talk to me. I hope there's nothing wrong with my body.

After spending two more days of complete isolation, I was finally cleared to leave the sickbay. I've been waiting forever for this moment. I quickly changed to my white Fenrir Formal uniform and headed towards Director Paylor's lab.

As soon as I opened the door, the first thing I saw was the members of the First Unit, together with Lindow and Tsubaki. Alisa, Kota, and the others still have that worried look for me, but I shrugged all of it with a light smile. Director Paylor was wearing that deceiving smile as always. It seems he's still consumed in his work like always.

"How are you feeling now?" The Director asked me. I headed towards the seat on the side, and the others sat together with me.

"I don't think I'm a hundred percent, but I feel good." I replied. I hope that removes the worry off these people's faces, even if a little bit.

"That's good, that's good." He replied, although it didn't seem he was listening to me. He was still busy breezing through the stacked paperworks on top of his desk. It must be this hard being the Director of the Far East Branch. "So, you still don't remember anything that happened in that incident?"

"I'm afraid so." I answered. Don't worry, getting my memories back is high above my priority list as of now. There might be a very important information regarding the new breed of Aragami that attacked us that day that I could share if I remember the events that transpired that day.

Director Paylor averted his attention from the work stacked into his desk and turned to us. A video suddenly flashed right before us. My eyes were in awe with what I saw -remains of the new-type Ogretails that I think I slashed down. For some reason, they share a striking resemblance with the Corrosive Hannibal.

"These Ogretails look like me way back when I was an Aragami." Lindow was trying to make light of the situation, but everyone in the room understands the gravity of the situation we are facing right now.

The information about the Corrosive Hannibal is currently exclusive to the Far East Branch. However, for these new type of Ogretail to appear means that these Aragami were devouring Corrosive Hannibals. I don't think it's possible that Ogretails are capable of taking down a Corrosive Hannibal, even if they attacked it in swarms. It could only mean that someone is hunting down the Corrosive Hannibals, and the Ogretails get the remains. The question is, who is doing it? I'm sure Director Paylor instructed all God Eaters of the Far East Branch to avoid engaging Corrosive Hannibals, since little is known about them.

"I'm sure everyone understands the gravity of the situation here." Director Paylor commented. The dead silence that surrounded the room means all of us completely agree. "However, there's a more pressing matter at hand at this moment."

Suddenly, I felt the air inside the room suddenly get colder. For some reason, I felt that this was going to be about me, I just don't know why. The Director stood up and slowly approached me. His face crept closer and closer at me.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything?" Director Paylor asked me one more time. I don't understand why they keep asking me the same question. They're not believing me?

I remained silent and stared back at Director Paylor's eyes. After a few moments, he backed up and he was wearing that deceiving smile once again.

"There's no easy way of telling this, so I'll tell you frankly." He paced the room back and forth for a while, before stopping and then turning towards me. "I don't know why, but your heart is infected with Aragami cells. I'm afraid you're going to die soon."

I think I didn't quite hear that right.

The silence that filled the room was deafening.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone was brought back to their sense with the sounding alarm. But I am the one who's surprised the most. The thought of having my heart being infected with Aragami cells sounds so absurd that when the Director dropped it on us, I thought he was joking.

"Swarms of unidentified Aragami are suddenly detected inside the community; requesting all available God Eaters to report as soon as possible!" The sound of Hibari's tensioned voice echoed throughout the broadcast.

Everybody inside the room stood up and left, while I remained glued to my seat. Aside from the fact that my God Arc is still unusable at the moment, I'm stunned to the point that I'm unable to move from my seat. At this point, I still think that the Director is just joking when he said that I'm dying, and I don't have much time left.

Please, someone tell me it's all just a joke.

I looked at the Director, and he's returned to the stacked work on his desk. Tsubaki, on the other hand, remained silently in her seat. She didn't look as surprised as the rest of us, maybe because she already knew beforehand what the current situation is for me.

"...am I..." My mouth suddenly moved on its own. "Am I still capable of fighting the Aragami?"

Director Paylor suddenly stopped with his work and looked at me. Tsubaki made the same reaction. I can't blame them for being surprised; I'm surprised myself I asked that question. I don't know why I did though.

"Why do you want to fight so badly?" Tsubaki argued. There was a clear concern in her voice, and I appreciate it.

"It's because I'm a God Eater; fighting the Aragami is what God Eaters do." I replied. For some reason, Tsubaki and Director Paylor smiled at my response. I don't know if there was something funny with what I said.

After hearing myself answer Tsubaki's question, I found myself with a stronger resolve to fight off the gods that threaten the existence of humans. It's like I just gave myself a stronger reason to continue my fight against the Aragami, and my current condition is not going to stop me from fighting. I want to see the future where humans can freely walk the face of this earth once again, and I will fight to reach that future.

"Welll, to answer your question: yes, it's still possible to continue fighting." Director Paylor replied. I found myself standing in happiness after hearing that reply. "However, you won't be able to fight normally, unless we can treat that Aragami cell invasion in your heart."

"What do you mean I won't be able to fight normally?" I asked.

"The Aragami cells in your heart are currently in a dormant state, but they were active in the past month while you were in the state of coma." Tsubaki replied for the Director. "The cell invasion progresses slowly, which is a good thing. However, the Aragami cells are making changes in your body as we speak."

"Because of your Armlet, the spread of the Aragami cells is being slowed down, at most. As a side-effect, your body is reacting to the Aragami cells differently." The Director started his explanation. He's talking in a creepy way, and it makes me want to avoid him. "One of the most notable changes in your body is the your new-found ability to quickly regenerate your wounds."

The new regeneration ability sounds nice, but considering that it's an ability brought by the Aragami cells invading my heart, I'm sure there's a side effect.

"Honestly speaking, we weren't expecting you to survive the wounds you received. However, your wounds started to heal on its own in an instant, as if it were a miracle." Tsubaki added on the explanation. "You may already know this, but our regeneration has something to do with the division of our cells; our cells only divide numerous times throughout our entire lifetime, but the Aragami cells are forcing your cells to divide so you can heal your wounds faster."

I, more or less, understood what Tsubaki was trying to point out here. Because my cells are forcibly divided, it's also a given that my life is shortened in the process.

"And that's not all; the Aragami cells in your heart has given you the strength beyond any human. However, this puts an incredible amount of strain in your body, and only you can tell whether you can handle this power or not. Basically, you're a lot physically stronger, but you're only able to fight for a shorter time." Director Paylor further explained.

"We're forbidding you from entering Burst Mode for now, since we're still not sure if its safe for you to do so. We're not sure how the Aragami cells on your heart will react when you enter Burst Mode." Tsubaki warned me. Not being able to enter Burst Mode is a huge blow to me.

"So, after hearing all of those, are you still willing to fight against the Aragami?" This time, it was Director Paylor asking me a difficult question.

However, there's no way I can back down now. No, there's no way I can turn around from being a God Eater.

"I'd rather die fighting." I confidently answered.

The Director and Tsubaki both had satisfied looks on their faces. I am also satisfied with my answer. I suddenly realized that the anxiety I was feeling about my condition is already gone. In an instant, I'm no longer afraid of this infection in my heart -rather, I'll use it and the changes it brings to my body to my full advantage.

Once more, I am ready to face the Aragami invasion.

"That aside, let me ask you another question." Director Paylor opens up the conversation once again. "At this point, I want to know what you think about the Aragami."

And then he throws another weird question at me. I can't seem to figure out why he's doing this, though. "I don't know what you mean."

"Let me rephrase then: do you despise the Aragami or not?" The Director changed his question to make it clear. Still, I don't know the reason behind this question. "I, as a scientist, am fascinated with the Aragami. I want to know everything about them, because I am a scientist."

"To be honest, I don't know how to answer this." I replied. I think this is a matter of opinion and there are no right or wrong answers here. "I don't generally despise the Aragami, I just want to return the world to it's former glory. I want a safe world for everyone, and the existence of the Aragami is preventing that from happening. That's why I'm fighting, I think."

The Director stared blank at me. "You really remind me of a certain someone. Have you ever heard of the name Silveria Vallese?"

I repeated the name inside my head numerous times, but nothing comes to mind. However, I think I may have heard that name somewhere before.

"I think I may have heard that name somewhere before, but nothing comes to my mind." I replied. I wonder who that person is.

"Ah, it doesn't matter. I have this feeling that the two of you will meet someday." Director Paylor murmured.

"Now, about your God Arc." Tsubaki interrupted. I suddenly felt a cold shiver running down my spine.

I think I'm going to get it now, since I heard that my God Arc's currently in its worst shape. I hope that Licca can still do something about my God Arc, or I have to find another one that matches my Bias Factor. It's going to be a problem if I can't find a quick replacement if my God Arc calls it quits.

"Similar to you, your God Arc came back here in the worst possible condition. Licca is trying to do her best to make most of your God Arc, but don't expect it can be usable again." Tsubaki explained. What the hell happened to me and my God Arc for things to turn out like this?

This is the worst possible situation for me now. Without a God Arc, how am I supposed to fight the Aragami? There has to be something that can be done.

"I can't be called a God Eater without a God Arc." I told Tsubaki. There must be something that they can do. "Maybe there's a spare God Arc that's compatible with me."

"Unfortunately, there are no other God Arcs that matches with you at the moment. We are still looking for a God Arc that will." Tsubaki replied. However, there's something in her eye that's telling me there's more to this. "However, there _issomething_ you can use."

There is something I can use? As long as it means I can help my friends fight off the Aragami that's entered the community, I'll take it.

"It's a prototype to the next-generation God Arc for New-type God Eaters. The project is called _Project Slayer_, the creation of new-type God Arcs that's aimed to be compatible to any God Eater." Tsubaki explained.

I stood up my seat after hearing the idea. A God Arc that's compatible to any God Eater is a great idea. However, I can't help wonder why it's our branch that's working on a large-scale project like this.

"The true aim of the project is to serve as a secondary weapon to existing God Arc users and to arm God Eater candidates who can't a God Arc that's compatible to them." Tsubaki explained further. Hearing all of these makes me want to test it out more.

"While the project is aimed to create a God Arc that's compatible with any God Eater, you are the only one who can use its prototype, since it's actually made for you." Tsubaki told me. "You were the one chosen to test the ambitious God Arc, if the idea is possible or not."

I remained silent for a while. I don't know why it was me who was chosen to test out a prototype God Arc that could possibly decide the future of this world if it becomes a success, but it's actually an honor for me. It only means that they trust me and my skills, to the point that I am a part of a revolutionizing idea that could turn the tides of this war against the Aragami.

"If you are still willing to take part as the test subject of Project Slayer, then head to Licca as soon as possible and sortie. This is not an order; this is entirely up to you." Tsubaki told me, before excusing herself and leaving the room.

I think there's nothing to think about. If this is something only I can do, then I'll do it. Still, there must be a reason why it was me who was chosen to test out the prototype, and why it's the Far East Branch the one supervising this large-scale project.

I stood up and turned my back on the Director and left his office. I ran down the hall and headed towards Licca.

I reached Licca in her lab, who was looking to be at her wits end trying to figure out what to do with my destroyed God Arc. The core seemed badly damaged to me.

"Licca, I'm here for the prototype." I told Licca straight, since I have no time to spare. I have to get out there and help the other God Eaters fight the Aragami.

She looked straight at me in the eye for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh. "You better return with this one whole."

She turned around and handed me a large, metal case. I placed it on a open table and opened it. "Project Slayer Prototype – Code Name: Fang"

The large case contained parts for the prototype. I watched Licca assemble the new God Arc together, and it didn't take her long to do so. I guess Licca is a natural at doing things like this.

When she was done, there was something strange about the prototype God Arc. It was similar to an old-type God Arc; there was no gun part. However, what's strange was that it also didn't have a shield to with the blade. The prototype was made to be a blade-only God Arc, and the default Long Blade attached to it doesn't seem to be changeable with other blades.

Licca dropped the God Arc to the side and worked on the remaining parts on the case. As soon as she was done, she was holding a God Arc similar to the prototype, except it is noticeable that its frame is quite smaller compared to a regular God Arc. Again, this small God Arc didn't have a shield or a gun part to accompany it. The small God Arc, instead, was equipped with its default Short Blade, and again, it doesn't seem to be changeable.

"Is this it, the prototype?" I asked Licca.

After assembling everything, she placed the two God Arcs back in the case and closed it, and then handed it back to me. "Please take good care of it. You'll know what to do with it when you get there."

Licca then returned to working with my damaged God Arc. I have no idea how to use this God Arc, but she thinks that I'll figure it out soon enough, so I took her word for it. After all, I don't have time for tutorials and a crash course in using this new prototype, so I just have to try my luck when I get on the actual field.

I rushed back to the main lobby and headed to where Hibari was.

"Hibari, what's the status?" I asked Hibari. For some strange reason, she wasn't expecting me to be here at the moment; it was obvious on the look on her face.

She quickly snapped out of it and went back to her terminal. "Currently, the second unit is dealing with the Aragami near the walls. The First unit, together with Lindow, is hunting numerous Aragamis that managed to slip inside."

"How many are there?" I asked. I can't understand how those Aragami managed to slip inside without anyone noticing. Something's strange here.

"The First Unit has already managed to hunt down most of the Aragami, however, there are reports of a new-type Chi-You sighted inside the vicinity. The First Unit is making it a priority to hunt this Aragami down." Hibari reported. This isn't good. I hope they're done evacuating the people out or it might end up not pretty.

After hearing the status of the situation, I headed out to the scene. I hope I make it in time.

I ran around the city, and so far, I haven't come across anything -neither God Eaters nor Aragami. There doesn't seem to be a sign of any people around, which means that the evacuation must be completed. It's a good thing if that's the case.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw a lone new-type Ogretail not too far from me. It seems that it has not yet noticed my presence. I carefully placed the case carrying the two new God Arcs down, and took the one equipped with the Long Blade.

This God Arc is really strange, for some reason.

When I lifted the God Arc, it's a lot lighter compared to my previous God Arc. It was only then that I realized that for a Long Blade, this blade is a lot shorter and smaller. It's as if this God Arc was made for single-hand use.

And then I remembered Tsubaki's explanation about the project. Project Slayer was intended to arm possible God Eater candidates because it's a project that aims to be compatible with everyone, and is a sidearm to existing God Eaters to help them in combat. It was only then that I understood why it was designed this way. This God Arc was engineered to be this light because it was intended to be wielded offhand. I also realized what the other Short Blade is for, and why this God Arc was created to not have a shield to accompany it.

However, this God Arc alone is enough for this Ogretail.

I am now ready. With a God Arc in hand, I am once again a God Eater.

I charged in on the lone Ogretail, and for some reason, I thought that it feels good to be alive.

It feels good to live with a solid purpose in mind.

It was a strange Chi-You. Unlike it's natural, steel-blue color, it was colored plain white. It moves like a Chi-You, but they're sure that it's nothing like it. Flames are sprouting on its wings and back and is shooting large fireballs with the palm of its hands.

But its most distinct feature is how it resembles the self-regenerating Aragami, the Hannibal.

The Aragami's movements, attacks, patterns, all remind them of the immortal Aragami. They don't know what to do with this Aragami. Simply said, it is too strong for them at the moment and can't do anything about it. However, the Aragami is not letting them retreat.

Soma charged in for an attack, hoping to open up a moment for his comrades to escape. However, his efforts were quickly thwarted as he was swept away by the strange Aragami's arm. Lindow and Sakuya barraged the Aragami with shots from their God Arcs, but it doesn't seem to do much. Alisa rushed in and carried the unconscious Soma to safety.

After getting a fresh new set of bullets, Kota fired his own shots against the new-type Chi-You, but also had no effect.

The Chi-You then rushed in and jumped on Sakuya, but Lindow jumped in as well and defended Sakuya, only for the both of them to end up getting swept to the side like Soma. Kota continued his shots against the Aragami, while Alisa stepped in to get a few slashes off the Aragami, all of them ending up useless.

Soon, Kota ran out of bullets once more, and Alisa was at the mercy of the Chi-You, helplessly defending herself agaisnt the barrage of slashes the new Aragami is unleashing on her.

Alisa managed to defend herself somehow, and the Aragami jumped away, but only to prepare for a bigger attack. The Chi-You suddenly accumulated energy in the palm of its left hand. At first, it looked like a large fireball, but the energy slowly took shape and became a spear of flame.

Alisa could only look at the attack. Seeing how battered her shield was at the moment, she quickly realized that there was no way for her to defend herself against an attack of that scale. Kota tried to rush and and get Alisa out of there, but his legs froze at the last moment. Soma, Sakuya and Lindow were all barely conscious at the moment.

After its charging was complete, the Aragami threw the condensed spear of energy at Alisa.

Alisa closed her eyes, and inside her head, a single name echoed inside. She was wishing for him to arrive, to save her, and to defeat the enemy.

In her eyes, He was always the hero. She believed that he will come and save her anytime, and any place, because he always does, and not just her, but everyone else.

And there was a huge explosion.

I couldn't see anything from the smoke. I don't know what kind of attack that was, but it sure was hell something else.

I looked at the poor damsel in my arms, and her eyes were still closed. I can see tears forming in her eyes; she honestly thought it was going to be her end. Her small frame was still trembling in fear.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at my face.

"God Eaters shouldn't cry." I told her before slowly putting her down.

She quickly clung to me. I can feel her muffled cries vibrating through my whole body. I let her be for a moment. Alisa has always been emotional, and I can't blame her for being like this when she honestly thought that she was going to die.

"I'm sorry for being late." I apologized to her.

She moved her head away from my body and looked up at me. Her face was still slightly flushed from all that crying. "Are trying to make yourself look good by coming in late?"

She's calmed herself now, and we turned our attention to the enemy who was quietly observing us. It seems it was waiting for us to make a move.

"Wait, why are you here? You don't have a God Arc to use at the moment!" Alisa exclaimed. In response, I showed her the case I was carrying on my shoulders.

"Don't worry, I have this." I placed the case on the ground and took out both God Arcs. Unlike the previous Ogretails I encountered along the way, this one's going to be tough.

"If you only made a better job of clearing the small ones for me, then I would've been here sooner." I joked. Alisa was looking at me, pouting. I laughed at her cute expression. "Anyway, let's get this over with."

With a God Arc on each hand, and Alisa backing me up, I charged in on the new-type Chi-You.

In my hands, I hold the future of the God Eaters.

Let's see how our future looks like.


	3. Chapter 3

I slowly walked towards the Aragami in front of us, carefully watching its every move. I know that Alisa is watching my back, so my priority for now is to save Soma and the others. I glanced over at Kota, who was still shaking in his boots. However, from the looks of it, he must be done recovering his bullets and could back me up as well.

The plan in my head is a little bit risky, but I think this is the best way to deal with this for now. This is also the perfect opportunity to test out the capabilities of this new technology.

"Listen guys! I'll be taking on this Aragami head-on." I can see that they're not liking the sound of my plan, knowing that I just recovered from a serious injury. I also want to test out the limits of my new body, so I think this much is necessary. "Kota, I need you to offer me support fire. Alisa, I need you to get and help Lindow and the others. I'll buy you as much time as you need, but you better hurry."

I can see subtle changes in the new Chi-You's movements, signs that it's probably going to attack us soon. This is a strange Aragami behavior, because I've always believed that they only react to their desire to devour. It's because of that trait that our God Arcs also have the desire to devour anything, and the only thing that's preventing that is our Armlets. However, this Aragami is strangely observing us, as if it's analyzing our patters as well. If all Aragamis are like this one, then our fight will only get harder from here on out.

"Now!" I shouted, before charging in straight on the Aragami.

Kota was firing his shots, trying to pin the Chi-You down to its place. However, as soon as I entered the Chi-You's range, it ignored Kota's shots and attacked me with a very fast swipe. I jumped over its arm and charged my blades straight to its belly.

The God Arcs managed to pierce through the Chi-You's body, but the pierce was not deep enough to inflict any serious damage. The Aragami's body is too thick and sturdy to slash it open through the pierce wound, so I just drew my God Arcs back and took a quick step back, and then to the left.

I saw Alisa tending to the Soma, who was now slowly getting back to his feet. This is good. It seems that I've completely hold the Aragami's attention. Kota stopped his support fire for a while. I observed the Aragami once again, all because it was doing the same. I'm starting to think this Aragami is actually thinking. It's going to be a scary fight if it manages to learn my patterns, so I have to keep my movements random.

However, the Chi-You caught me by surprise when it suddenly fired a fireball from its palm. It was a quick fire, so it wasn't that powerful. I made a quick step to my right, but I realized it was a bad move as the Aragami's left arm is quickly heading towards my direction.

I can't believe that the Chi-You actually had the intelligence to set up its attack like this.

I crossed my blades and caught the Chi-You's crashing claws. The force of its attack was so strong that I was forced to my knees. The Chi-You continued its attack with its other arm. The Aragami made a huge windup, and then swung its other claw towards me. From this position, there's no way I can defend myself.

I braced myself for the impact of the attack, but a shadow suddenly appeared and blocked the incoming claw for me. A moment later, I realized that it was the now-revitalized Soma defending me from the attack.

"Can't you stop being reckless?" He scolded me. We pushed off both the Aragami's arms and made a quick step back, while Kota blasted another barrage of shots against it.

"I'm out of bullets again!" Kota warned us. Soma clicked his tongue after hearing this. It's really bothersome that Kota tends to run out of bullets frequently, especially when it's in dire situations like this.

"Got any better plans?" Soma asked me. I glanced over Alisa, who was now tending to Lindow and Sakuya.

"For now, let's buy time for Lindow and Sakuya to recover." I told Soma this for now, but I have to come up with a better plan than this if we want to beat this strong Aragami.

I can't count on Alisa in this fight now, given the state her God Arc is in. Her buckler's pretty much out of shape now, and it's hard to imagine how long her shield could last in this battle. If only we have another God Eater or two here, then I could come up with something.

"Let's focus our attacks on its legs." I told Soma. "If we can unbound those cells, we can hinder it's movements greatly. I'll create the openings for you."

After Soma agreed to my temporary plan, I charged in once more. I can't count on Kota to pin the Aragami down this time, so I headed in carefully this time. This time, the Chi-You unleashed a barrage of fireballs against me -small and quick fireballs, as if it was trying its best to keep me away from it. However, it was easy for me to slash the fireballs down because of their small size.

After dodging the last fireball, I saw the Chi-You charging up a large one. The Aragami's barrage was another set to this attack. The Chi-You then fired the ball of condensed energy at my direction. I jumped up to avoid the huge fireball. I turned all of my momentum into an attack and aimed for the Aragami's head, but my blades were received by his claws. This opened up the perfect opportunity for Soma to attack its legs.

Soma unleashed his Charged Blade on the Aragami's legs. The Chi-You released my God Arcs from its hands and winced in pain after receiving Soma's attack. I made a twirled my body to my side and made a spinning slash against the Aragami's head.

The Chi-You covered its face after my attack, and was stumbling back because of its lost balance after Soma's attack. Soma and I continued to unleash a barrage of unguarded slashes against the Aragami's lower limbs. In no time, we were able to unbound its cells on its legs.

Soma and I made a quick step backwards after unbounding the cells on its legs, and then stepped back in to land the finishing blow. However, we stopped midway after seeing the Chi-You's reaction.

The Chi-You slowly got back up to its feet, and the flames on burning on its wings and back just got brighter. This fight is longer from being over than we thought. What's more, this attack is awfully reminding me of the Hannibal's _Firestorm_ attack.

"Isn't that...?" Soma noticed the obvious similarity as well.

"Yeah, this isn't good." I murmured. Soma and I decided to back away further from the enraged Chi-You.

The Chi-You floated up in the sky, and burned even brighter and stronger. After a few moments of gathering energy, the burning Chi-You released strong pillars of flame from its body that went on all directions.

We ran back and took cover behind the ruins of the destroyed building. It was notable that this version of the Hannibal's Firestorm is much more powerful than the original's. It took a few moments before the flames died down, and I took a peak at the destruction the Aragami's flashy attack did.

I can see Alisa and the others in the opposite direction from us, but they seem to be safe. For now, it seems that the Chi-You has not yet detected us. I gave Alisa and the others the signal to retreat for now, so we can regroup and think of a better strategy to beat this thing. Lindow might have ideas how to take this Aragami out.

We've managed to regroup successfully. I looked at the Chi-You, and it remained suspended in the air while being engulfed in its own strong flames.

"Lindow, do you have any ideas how to take this thing down for good?" I asked the former First Unit's leader for his ideas. "We should take this Aragami down as soon as possible, or it's just going to get tougher to beat."

"This Aragami, no matter where you look at it, it's just a variant of a Chi-You; the same basic strategy when fighting against Chi-You's should work." Lindow suggested.

Soma and I used the same approach earlier and managed to unbound the cells on its limbs, but this is how the Aragami responded with our actions.

"We've tried that before, and obviously it didn't work. We managed to deal some damage on its legs though; that should probably hinder its movements when on the ground." Soma pointed out. I've also thought of that, but that Aragami's intelligence is proving to be troublesome for us.

"As soon as we unbounded the cells on its legs, it responded by flying ten meters up in the air and unleashed those flames like there was no tomorrow." I told the others. "I don't think that thing will be down anytime soon."

"Then, why don't we force that thing down?" Kota suggested, out of the blue. I'm already thinking of that, but I don't know how to do it. "I mean, its legs are in a pretty bad shape, right? If we manage to get it down, then it's over for him!"

It's amazing how Kota can stay animated and lively like this, despite the dire situation we are currently in right now.

"What do you have for brains?" Alisa quickly shot Kota down. "You suggest on taking it down to the ground, but do you know how? That thing's engulfed in flames, you won't even be able to get close!"

That's not all, we still have to watch out for its Firestorm attack. Charging in recklessly would really be dangerous this time.

However, Sakuya caught my attention. Based from her expression, it seems that she came up with an idea but is thinking if she should bring it up or not. I think Sakuya came up with the same ridiculous solution I did.

"Let's focus our attacks on its wings." Sakuya suggested. "That thing is relying on its wings to stay afloat. If we can destroy those wings, it's going to be easy at that point."

Ah, I knew it. Sakuya did come up with the same solution as I did. It sounds possible, but this plan comes with a huge risk.

"The problem is how we get closer to that thing." Sakuya added.

"We can you that." I pointed on a ruined building near the Aragami. "We can use that to get high enough and take its wings out. However, we have to somehow force the Chi-You near that place."

I gripped my the God Arcs in my hand tighter. If I remember correctly, the Director said that my body is now stronger than any God Eater's. I should be able to prove that this time.

"I could probably launch an attack from that point." I told them. "If you can move the Chi-You to a little bit nearer to the ruins of the building, I could probably take its wings out."

"Are you out of your mind? That's the same as jumping in a sea of flames!" Soma exclaimed.

I looked at him with a faint smile. "We'll just get burned as well if just stay here anyway."

"Don't screw with me!" Soma grabbed me by my shirt. Alisa and Sakuya quickly got off their feet and tried to calm Soma down. "A month ago, you came back from your mission half-dead because you chased after an unknown enemy, and now you're willing to jump into a sea of flames? Do you want to die that badly?"

I grabbed Soma's wrist. "If I won't do it, then who will? Right now, it's our only chance of beating that thing."

"Hey, you two cut that out." Lindow stood up and broke us off. He then looked at my direction and gave me a serious look. "You're willing to do this because you know you're going to pull it off, right?"

I gave him a light smile. "Well, more or less."

Lindow let out a light chuckle. "I guess that's good enough. Let's go with this plan then."

Soma looked like he didn't want to go with the plan, but he's got no choice.

"Listen up, people!" Lindow exclaimed after formulating a plan inside his head. "Rookie, climb up that ruined building, and once you're in position, give us a signal. Sakuya, Alisa and Kota will unleash a barrage of shots to force and pin that Aragami as near as possible to that ruined building. When it's close enough, take out its wings. When the wings are off, it should fall to the ground. Once that thing is grounded, Soma and I will take care of it."

It's amazing how Lindow can come up with a detailed plan like that inside his head in a short amount of time. It must come from his vast experience.

After getting our orders, we went to our designated positions.

I turned around and decided to head to my position, but I suddenly stopped as I felt a tight pain around my chest. I gripped my God Arcs tighter, but the pain is making me unable to move.

"Is there something wrong?" Alisa suddenly asked me. She's really sharp when it comes to things like this.

I turned around and flashed her a forced smile. "It's nothing."

However, that didn't take the worry off her face. I'm sure she knows that something is wrong with me, but decided to keep it inside her. I turned around once again and headed towards the ruined building.

So this is what the Director meant when he said that I'll be unable to fight as long as I used to. Basically, there's a time limit as to how long I can fight.

This isn't good. We have to succeed with this plan no matter what, or we could be in trouble.

I reached my designated position and gave the others the signal. I looked down and saw Soma and Lindow drawing the Aragami's attention to themselves. After the signal has been fired, the two backed away and the others started their barrage of shots at the Chi-You.

I looked at the trigger in the Long Blade God Arc in my right hand. I'm pretty much relying on these that I have no experience using. Basically, I'm staking my life in this _feature_ that I haven't tested out. I looked back at the Aragami, and it was being forced at the direction we want to, as we planned.

It's almost time for me to play my part now.

Soon, the Chi-You was in a reasonable distance for me to connect an attack. I ran as fast as I can and jumped towards the Aragami. Sakuya and the others stopped their shots as soon as they saw me jump off the building's edge. I focused my eyes on the Chi-You's wings. After setting my target, I pulled the trigger of both God Arcs and unleashed a strong slash against the Aragami's wings.

"CUT THROUGH!" I shouted. I can see the blades deep inside the Chi-You's right wing, but it's not deep enough to cut the whole wing off.

_I defeated the new-type Ogretail with ease. Surprisingly, this prototype God Arc is easy to use. I looked at it and observed it once more. I noticed that there was a trigger. This prototype God Arc doesn't have anything else besides its blade, so I wonder what does this trigger do. I checked the smaller God Arc inside the metal case, and it had the same trigger._

"_Can you read me?" I heard a voice trying to reach me through the communicator on my left ear._

"_Hibari?" I quickly noticed the voice. "I can hear you loud and clear. What's the matter?"_

"_Licca says she forgot to tell you something important regarding the prototype God Arc. She needs to speak to you ASAP." Hibari informed._

_Licca forgot to mention something important? I knew it. She didn't tell me how to use this God Arc because she doesn't want me to use it in the first place! I bet she's still angry at me for busting my God Arc so bad it makes her cry, and she thinks that I'll do the same to this one._

"_Leader, can you hear me? This is Licca." She introduced. "I forgot to tell you something important about the prototype God Arc because I was still angry at you, I'm sorry!"_

_Ah, I knew it. Oh well, at least she managed to reach me anyway._

"_Have you noticed the triggers on both God Arcs?" Licca asked. "Have you tried using them yet?"_

"_I only noticed them now. What does those triggers do?" I asked back._

"_Those God Arcs have no way to release the Oracle Cells they store because they lack the gun parts necessary to do so, right?" Licca pointed out. I already noticed that, and while it's a waste, I don't think it's a problem. "When the triggers are switched, the stored Oracle Cells will force micro-level vibrations within the blade."_

_Did I hear that just right; micro-level vibrations induced by Oracle Cells?_

"_Basically, if I store enough Oracle Cells and pull the trigger, it's going to be easier to cut through Aragami flesh?" I cleared out._

"_In theory, yes." I clenched my fists after hearing that. This prototype God Arc is something else. "However, the system is still in its working stages, so I strongly suggest not to use it, unless extremely necessary."_

"_Is something bad going to happen if the system fails?" I asked Licca._

"_Well, it's a matter of whether the prototype God Arc can handle the system or not; worst possible case is that your God Arc will melt down." She replied._

_The risks are too high. I think I should listen to her this time. "Alright, copy that."_

"_Good luck and stay safe!" Licca told me, before handing the communication back over to Hibari._

_I suddenly heard a loud growl coming from a distance. I have a bad feeling about this. I quickly rushed over the direction of the noise._

I can hear the Aragami wincing in pain as I forced my blades to dig down deeper against its wings. However, the heat from the Chi-You's body and the heat being emitted by my God Arc is starting to become too much to handle. The Aragami started to shake me off its wings, but I landed my legs on its wings for more balance.

With my last ounce of strength, I pushed my God Arcs through the Chi-You's wings, ripping the whole arm off its body. I kicked myself off the Aragami and launched myself against the ruined building.

I landed back-first to the ground hard, but I'm still fine. The Aragami and I crashed almost at the same time, and as soon as its body touched the ground, Lindow and Soma started their attack.

Soma unleashed another one of his devastating Charged Blades on the Aragami, while Lindow let out a flurry of slashes on the Chi-You's key parts. Alisa changed to her melee form and assaulted the downed Aragami, while Kota and Sakuya resumed their barrage of shots.

I remained lying on the ground while I watched them finish the defenseless Chi-You off. Lindow readied his God Arc and devoured the Chi-You's core.

At last, it's over now.

I looked at the God Arcs on my hand, and they're in partially-melted state. I'm sure Licca's going to blow off after seeing the state this prototype God Arc's in. Alisa and Kota quickly rushed to my aid. Kota helped me get up. My body is still numb from the fall, but I can stand up, barely.

Suddenly, I had an eerie feeling. I suddenly remembered the first time we encountered the Hannibal. We thought it was all over after extracting its core, but it the Aragami was able to regenerate its own core.

The Chi-You then moved its left arm. The core-less Aragami slowly got back up to its feet. Soma and Lindow quickly backed away from the returning Aragami and lifted their God Arcs once again.

"What the hell? It's also capable of regenerating its core?" Soma exclaimed.

"Watch out, it's not yet over!" Lindow shouted.

The Chi-You let out an enraged growl. The fires that enveloped its body started to burn once again, only this time, they're burning brighter.

I can't believe this is really happening. I clenched the battered God Arcs in my hands, and at this point, there's only one thing I can think off.

It's a good thing that the others were not present when the Director, Tsubaki, and I continued our conversation about my current state.

Right now, the only chance we have on beating that thing is if we enter Burst Mode. Unlike the Hannibal who regenerates completely after regenerating its core, this Chi-You was unable to heal back the damages we've inflicted on it. Unlike the Hannibal, if we dismember this Aragami down, it's going to be over for it, no matter how many times it regenerates its core. Entering Burst Mode is going to help us achieve that faster.

I rushed towards the recovering Aragami and ran towards its back. I plunged the Short Blade God Arc deep against its back, while the Long Blade God Arc devoured part of the Aragami's flesh.

I can feel the power rushing inside me, now that I'm in Burst Mode. I slashed the Aragami flesh from the inside with the use of the Short Blade God Arc plunged against its back, chipping away a large portion of its flesh.

I jumped away from the Aragami and ran towards to its left. After dealing a couple of quick slashes on the Chi-You's body, I jumped up and slashed the Aragami's head, aiming for its eyes. The Aragami backed away after being blinded, its right hand covering his head once again.

I dug the Short Blade against the Chi-You's right shoulder this time, and then tried to slash off the Aragami's right arm, but the Long Blade shattered after the strong impact of the blade against the Chi-You's hardened body. The Chi-You managed to grab my leg and threw me away from it. I wasn't able to pull out the Short Blade God Arc in the process.

Right now, I'm practically armless.

I looked at the broken God Arc on my right hand, and after deeming it unusable, I tossed it to the side. My priority now is two retrieve the Short Blade God Arc and finish this fight.

I rushed back against the blinded Aragami and jumped up, reaching for my other God Arc. I managed to reach it and pull it out. I then circled around to its back and jumped on the Chi-You's back, digging my blade against its nape. From that position, I was able to sever the Chi-You's head off of its body.

I looked at the Chi-You's back, and the place where the core was extracted from is starting to close up. I quickly got down and plunged the Aragami's core with my blade. I held the closing wound on both sides and forced it to open once again with my bare hands. The Aragami was trying to reach me from its back. I pulled out the Short Blade from its core and slashed the other arm off. I tossed the severed arm to the side and the Aragami collapsed to the ground.

I extracted the damaged core and tossed it away. And then, I plunged my God Arc at the spot where the core is regenerated, hoping it would stop the core from regenerating back.

And then Burst Mode ended. I was breathing heavily as I slowly backed away from the Aragami remains. I looked at my comrades, but I was surprised with what I saw.

They all had horrified expressions as they were looking back at me. Why are they looking at me like that? Why are they looking at me like I did something horrible? Why are they looking at me like I'm some sick monster.

"Who...you're not our leader..." Alisa murmured. I tried to approach her, but the moment I took a step forward, she instantly took one step back. "You're not our leader...who are you?"

I can't quite understand what the question was for.

Suddenly, I felt something rushing back to me. I fell down to my knees as I coughed up a huge amount of blood on my hands. After seeing all the blood, I looked back at my friends, and then passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring at a familiar ceiling. I can't remember when, but I'm positive somehow that this similar scene has happened to me before.

Wait, hasn't this already happened not too long ago?

I got up and found myself inside the sick bay once again. I really should stop waking up like this. If this goes on, it's not going to be a surprise if I stop waking up completely.

I looked around, and found the room completely empty.

For some reason, I feel like I'm missing something. I quickly dismissed the uneasy feeling and helped myself with the change of clothes I found sitting on the chair beside my bed. After changing, I noticed that there was something inside my pocket. I took it out and found a piece of paper with something written inside.

_Proceed to Dr. Paylor's lab as soon as you read this, and don't let anybody see you._

I don't know who left this note, but there are some things I don't understand. I understand that I have to see Director Paylor as soon as I can, but why should I do it discreetly? I don't know what's this all about, but I better follow what's written on the note. There must be a good reason for this.

I sneaked myself out the sick bay and quickly headed towards the Director's lab.

I successfully made it to the Director's lab without anyone noticing me. Well, it was rather easy to do so, since it was around two in the morning. Most people would be asleep at this time. I checked on the door, and found it unlocked.

I slowly opened the room and found the Director working on something. I slowly entered the room and softly closed the door behind me.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked. I don't know how long the Director is waiting for me. Well, I wasn't really expecting to see him here. I guess he rarely takes breaks.

He stopped at his work and directed his attention at me for a moment, before making himself busy once again. "Have a seat."

For a while now, the Director isn't talking to me. It's strange because he called me out here, but now that I'm here, he's not talking to me. I wonder what he wants.

"So -"

"You must be wondering why you had to go all through the trouble of meeting me here, and not letting anyone see you in the process." He interrupted me with his question.

Honestly though, I don't know why. I shook my head in response.

"Have you forgotten already? This is the only place in the Far East Branch that's not monitored. I value my privacy, you know." It suddenly struck me. This is the place where we kept Shio hidden because this is the only place the former Director can't reach.

There must be something Director Paylor needs to tell me in secret. I wonder what it could be about.

"There's something important I have to tell you, I just don't know where to start." The Director told me. I'm having a hard time trying to understand what he meant. "You see, I have a confession to make."

A confession? Why does he need to make a confession to me?

"Actually, I'm partly responsible for what's happening right now, for what happened to you, and what's going to happen in the near future." The Director told me. I have no idea what he means.

"I don't understand." I told him.

"I'm going to tell you something I'm not allowed to share, that's why I asked you the trouble of coming here unseen." He explained.

I kept silent and waited for the Director's confession. So the reason why he was silent this whole time was because he's trying to figure out how he's going to say it to me. I gave the Director the time he needs to organize his thoughts. This must be a very a sensitive issue because Director Paylor is having a hard time putting it into words.

"Do you remember the question I asked you the last time we talked?" He asked me. He was asking me a lot of questions back then, so I don't know which question he was referring to. "_What do you think of the Aragami_, I asked you this question, do you remember?"

It was a weird question, something that suddenly came out of the blue. Of course, I remember it. I also remember the answer I gave.

"You told me that you don't generally despise the Aragami; the only reason you, us here at Fenrir, are fighting them is because that they're a threat to humanity." My answer went that way, more or less. "You're not the only one who's sharing that view with the Aragami."

To be honest, I find my answer to be quite inappropriate for a God Eater. Most of the God Eaters probably hate the Aragami for various reasons. Alisa probably hates the Aragami because they are the ones responsible for her parents' death. Kota probably hates the Aragami because they're a threat to her mother and sister's safety. Soma probably hates the Aragami because they're the reason he was born a _monster_, in his point of view.

Unfortunately for me, I don't have a reason to despise the Aragami enough. I'm fighting them because I'm one of the few who are capable.

"Almost at the same time Fenrir was founded, there existed a group of people that had the share view of Aragami as you." The Director told me. "They were consisted of scientists and influential people who are fascinated with the Aragami, and I was one of these people. Back then, we were called _Genesis_."

I watched the Director leave his desk and sit beside me. I kept myself silent and listened as the Director continued his story.

"We all came together because of our desire to study the Aragami, but had different end goals in mind." He added.

"Different goals?" I asked the Director. "So does that mean you don't share the same goal with Fenrir?"

"Actually, the Genesis stood against Fenrir's ideals. Fenrir was created for the sole purpose of eradicating the Aragami threat; on the other hand, the Genesis envisioned a world together with the Aragami."

A world together with the Aragami? From how things look now, it's hardly possible.

"Like I said, we had different reasons for studying the Aragami. I wanted to know everything there is to know about the Aragami. Other scientists thought of using the Aragami against the Aragami, and studied a way for to be possible." He continued.

"Fighting the Aragami with Aragami..." I thought to myself. "Isn't that idea the foundation of the God Arcs we use now?"

"That's right! The initial idea of the God Arcs came from Genesis, which was stolen by Fenrir. However, what we had in mind at that time was breeding artificial Aragamis that could control the Aragami threat." The Director explained to me.

Obviously, the idea of breeding Aragami to ward off the Aragami threat didn't succeed, and the God Arcs were eventually born.

"So, what happened next?" I asked the Director.

"Unfortunately, the rest of the members of Genesis wanted the Aragami as a biological weapon to use against the enemy; at that time that enemy is Fenrir." Aragami as a biological weapon? I can't even imagine that's possible. "They were really ambitious about this, because they were aiming for world dominance. In the end, they wanted Genesis to take over the world through the Aragami, and that was the time I parted ways with them and eventually joined Fenrir."

"What happened with the Genesis?" I asked the Director.

"Genesis has always been interfering with Fenrir's activities. Shortly after my defection, Fenrir crushed Genesis." Director Paylor answered.

"I took all my research together with me to Fenrir and continued my studies here. Shortly afterwards, the Far East Branch was established and I was moved here." He ended his story.

I'm starting to realize where this story is heading.

"So, are you telling me that Genesis is probably the ones behind these strings of Aragami incidents involving new breeds of Aragami?" I asked the Director. His silence means that I'm right on track. However, there's something I don't understand.

"However, you just said that Fenrir has already crushed Genesis. Besides, I don't see why you're responsible for this incident." I shared my thoughts.

"Well, before Fenrir was able to take action, I informed my former colleagues beforehand. I'm sure that the key members of Genesis were able to escape." He confessed. I now understand why it's partly his fault.

"Genesis could probably behind all these..." I murmured to myself. "So, what could they be after this time?"

"World domination? Revenge? To be honest, I'm not really sure. I just have a strong hunch its them behind this." Director Paylor answered.

I'm starting to get the general picture, but I wonder why the Director chose me to hear all of these. I think it would be better if Tsubaki and the others hear this. We already have a lead on the enemy, so preparing against them would be easier. Sure, we have no idea about the enemy's full extent, but at least we can prepare for the worst.

"Well, let's leave it at that for now." I took that as a cue to make my exit. I stood up, only to be stopped by him. "Where are you going? We're not done here just yet; we're still going to talk about you."

We're going to talk about me? I don't like where this is going. I'm sure this has something to do with my current condition and the previous fight with the new-type Chi-You.

"You entered Burst Mode, right?" The Director asked. There's no point in lying, so I gave him a nod. "Ah, I knew you would."

He knew I would? I only entered Burst Mode because it was the only thing I can think of at that moment. I'm sure we had no chance of winning if I didn't do what I did.

"I heard that the Chi-You had the same ability as the Hannibal to regenerate its core. How did you know how to stop the core from regenerating?"

I was about to answer, but the words suddenly died in my mouth. I suddenly realized what the Director is trying to point out. I don't know why I suddenly had the knowledge to stop the core from being regenerated, just because I entered Burst Mode.

"It's all because of your _instinct to devour_." My instinct to devour? Why is he making it sound like I've become an Aragami myself. "You're thinking why I'm making it sound like you're an Aragami, right? Well, it's simply because you're starting to become one."

What the hell is he talking about? I'm starting to become an Aragami? I looked at my body, and so far there are no physical changes happening to me.

"Don't you find it strange? You have, if not, the strongest desire to fight off the Aragami, despite not having a strong reason to do so. You quickly resorted to Burst Mode because you thought that it was the only way to defeat the enemy. You suddenly had the knowledge to stop the Chi-You's core from being regenerated, just because you entered Burst Mode. There's only one reason for all of these, and that's because of your instinct to devour everything, the same instinct that's driving the Aragami." The Director explained. I understood well his point, but I'm finding a hard time to take it all in.

"Right now, forty percent of your heart is being corrupted by the Aragami cells, and the invasion had started to spread to the organs near your heart." Director Paylor added. "The invasion progressed this fast because you entered Burst Mode. At this point, I don't know how long you're able to hold on to your sanity."

I thought that there was still salvation for me, but after hearing the Director's explanation, I lost all hope of being saved.

"The reason you coughed up a copious blood and passed out after the Burst Mode expired is because your body couldn't probably take anymore. If you continue to fight like this, your body will break first even before the Aragami cells could fully consume your body." The Director further explained.

"The reason Lindow and the others were scared of you was because you _fought like an Aragami_, just because you entered Burst Mode." The Director added.

I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think. At this moment, my mind is being consumed by the thought of dying. I don't want to die. I don't want to die like an Aragami. I don't want to become an Aragami.

"So, there's no hope for me, right?" I asked. I'm not expecting too much.

"No, there's still hope for you." He replied. I lifted my head back. "Like I said, everything that's happening right now is partly my fault, so I'll take responsibility. I'll find a way to save you, no matter what the cost -I promise you that."

Those words by the Director are reassuring enough. I guess I'll just have to trust in the Director and his promise.

_-the next day-_

The First Unit was ordered to assemble at the main lobby. I guess there's a mission for us. Even though I have no God Arc to use at the moment, I still headed there. Soma, Kota, Alisa, and Sakuya were already at the lobby.

I arrived there and I noticed something was different. They're trying their best to act natural around me, but I can clearly tell something is not right. They're still afraid of what I showed them when I defeated the Chi-You alone. Unfortunately for me, I can't blame them for feeling that way. I clenched my fists tightly because I hate myself for being like that. I'm supposed to protect my comrades, not threaten them.

Soon, Tsubaki arrived with the details of the mission in hand. As expected, I was ordered to stay in the base for various reasons, but mainly because I have no God Arc to use at the moment. Other reasons include my health, and they're still trying to figure out what to do to me. It's painfully obvious that I'm starting to become a threat towards the people around me.

I headed towards Licca to check up on the status of my God Arc.

I arrived in Licca's lab in no time, and the first thing I saw was a busy Licca working on a God Arc. This is not a new scene inside Licca's workplace. She has a burning passion for God Arcs, and I commend her for that. I walked inside her place, and I'm sure she's noticed me by now. Maybe she' still angry at me for busting my God Arc, and this time the prototype because she's not saying a word.

"I should be angry at you right now." Ah, she is angry indeed. "I told you to bring the prototype back in one piece, but this one's wrecked!"

"I'm so sorry! The Chi-You was tougher than I thought! I ended up using the trigger system because I was forced to do so." I explained my situation.

"I should be angry with you right now, but after hearing what you did out there, I can't bring myself to do so." Licca spoke softly. "It's a good thing the Short Blade God Arc's not that damaged compared to this one. I'll fix this thing back to shape, and maybe I'll improve the thing so it can handle the system!"

I can't be more happy right now after hearing Licca say that.

"Basically, I just have to enforce the whole thing so it can withstand the system." Licca told herself.

I just noticed something right now. "So does that mean this system doesn't have a name yet?"

"Well, since this is just a prototype God Arc, I haven't given much thought on that one. What, do you have a name in mind?" She asked me.

I thought about it for a moment, and came up with something good. "Why don't we call it the _Nero System_?"

"You mean, the Nero who was responsible for burning Rome down?" She's right on spot.

"I just happen to be fascinated with the ancient history, and I suddenly remembered that." I explained how I came up with the name.

"I think its perfect." Licca agreed. So the trigger system is now named Nero System. "Alright! I better get back to work so I can get you back into action as soon as possible."

After hearing that, I left Licca's workplace.

Without anything in mind, I headed back to my room.

_-Leader's Room-_

I laid on my bed, staring blankly at the plain ceiling. It didn't bother turning on the lights, so it was fairly dark inside my room.

Suddenly, I heard a soft knock at my door.

I went to get the door, and was surprised to see Alisa standing before me.

"Don't you have a mission to do?" I asked her.

"We still have a couple of hours before heading out, so I decided to come here." She told me. "Are you busy? Can I come in?"

I stood aside and let Alisa come inside. I turned on the lights and took a seat on my bed. Alisa took a seat on the bench near my bed.

"So, what brings you here? Is there something you need?" I asked her.

"Well, I still haven't thanked you for saving me back then, so I'm doing it now." Alisa told me. Oh, so it's because of that.

_...devour..._

I suddenly heard a painful voice ringing inside my head. I dismissed it by lightly shaking my head.

"Don't worry about it." I told her. For some reason, I wanted Alisa to leave my room, but I can't bring myself to do so. "So, is that all?"

_...her...devour..._

I heard it once again, this time its becoming clearer. I looked around my room to find where the voice was coming from, but I can't see it.

"I need to repay the debt somehow, so if there's something you need, just tell me." Alisa told me. Now, if only I can ask she leave my room at this moment, but something is stopping me from doing that.

_...let's devour..._

"No, don't sweat it. I'm sure you would've done the same thing if we were to swap places." I managed to reply, despite the voice echoing in my head only getting stronger.

"No! You've saved me many times now, so there must be something I could do for you or I'll feel indebted to you!" Alisa insisted. She's being persistent now, and it's starting to annoy me.

_...I want...to devour..._

The voice was too much to handle at that point. I dropped to my knees while gripping the sides of my head. I tried to dismiss the the voices in my head, but right now the voices only grew stronger and echoed inside my head until I can't hear anything anymore.

"Hey, are you okay? Does your head hurt?" I can barely hear Alisa's voice. I felt her hand touch my shoulders. "Tell me, is there something wrong?"

_...let's devour!_

At that point, I lost it.

I grabbed Alisa by her wrists and tossed her to the bed. I quickly pinned her under me.

"W-what are you doing? Please, stop this!" Alisa pleaded, but at that point, I lost complete control over my body. It felt like I was watching my body move on its own accord.

I opened my mouth widely and sank my teeth against Alisa's bare neck.


	5. Chapter 5

I found myself waking up to a strange dream I can't remember. Judging from the heavy breaths I'm drawing right now and the beads of sweat flowing down my face, it must have been a bad one.

I remained lying on my bed, staring at the blank ceiling above me.

For some reason, the image of Alisa knocking on my door suddenly came up. I don't know why that image suddenly appeared. I stood up and opened the door. The moment I opened it, the first thing that I saw was a surprised Alisa who was just about to knock at my door. She quickly averted her gaze from me and her face was slightly flushed. Is she still wary towards me after what happened in our last mission?

"Leader...um, could you...please?" She lifted her finger and pointed towards me. I followed where her finger was pointing and realized that I was topless and sweating.

I can't understand why Alisa would suddenly get embarrassed in seeing my topless form drenched in sweat. Anyway, I gently closed the door and grabbed myself a tank top and put it in. I got back to Alisa who was standing behind the door and invited her inside my room.

"Don't you have a mission to do?" I asked her.

"We still got time before we head out, so I figured I'd see you before we do so." Alisa replied.

I turned on the lights as she slowly entered my room. I watched her make her way to one of the chairs and took a seat. I went over to the other side of the room and brewed some coffee for the two of us.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked her. I don't know why, but I feel like this scene before me has happened before.

"Well, I just wanted to drop by and give my thanks for saving my life once again, during our last mission." Ah, I see, so this is about that. I took a sip from the hot cup of coffee I made.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm sure you won't think twice trying to save me if I were the one in trouble." I replied, followed by a light chuckle.

"But it's always you who's saving me. I need to repay the debt somehow." She quickly followed up. For some reason, she's being insistent on this one.

Suddenly, I heard a painful voice echoing inside my head. It kept on repeating inside my head, and I can't seem to shake it off. I tried my best to not show the pain I am in to Alisa, because I didn't want to worry her right before leaving for their mission. I tried my best to hide the pain I'm currently feeling.

_I'm hungry._

"...hungry." Those words accidentally slipped out of my mouth.

"Hm?" I'm sure Alisa heard that loud and clear. I don't know why those words suddenly slipped from my mouth. "You're hungry?"

_I'm hungry. I'm hungry._

"No, not really." I quickly replied. I then took another sip from the hot cup of coffee in my hand.

"Oh, is that so?" Suddenly, Alisa had a mischievous look on her face. I suddenly shivered a little because I have no idea what Alisa is thinking right now.

_I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I'm hungry._

"For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this." I joked around, before laughing it off. Alisa responded by giving me a pout, before finishing her hot cup of coffee in one go. I'm quite amazed she's able to do that.

Suddenly, the voices inside my head escalated to the point that I can't bare it any longer. However, I didn't want to worry Alisa, so I quickly stood up and ran towards my bathroom.

"Excuse me for a moment." I hurriedly told Alisa as I rushed towards the bathroom.

I slammed the door behind me and quickly dropped to the ground. The voices inside my head were too much that it's causing an excruciating pain in my head. I absolutely can't show this to Alisa, or I'm afraid she'll insist on staying behind.

_I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I'm hungry. _

_Devour. Devour. Devour._

_I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I'm hungry._

_Devour. Devour. Devour._

_I'M HUNGRY. I'M HUNGRY. I'M HUNGRY._

_DEVOUR! DEVOUR! DEVOUR!_

And then I hit myself.

I hit myself over and over again, until the voices slowly faded away. By the time I was relieved of the pain brought by the distinct voices inside my head, I have already hit myself numerous times. The physical pain I inflicted on myself started to kick in.

I'm such an idiot for actually hitting myself. Hard.

When I returned back to my room, Alisa was nowhere to be found. All that was left were the empty cup I lent her and a note lying on the table. I noticed that there was something on top of the note.

Lying on top of the note was a silver ring made into a necklace. I checked into the ring, and there were Russian words engraved into it. I then turned my attention on the note that came with it.

_I want you to have this. Thanks for everything. I'll definitely cook something for you once I get back._

_Life is short. Nothing is impossible._

_Alisa_

"Nothing is impossible, huh?" I repeated while staring at the ring on my fingertips. "I'll take good care of this."

_-the next day-_

I was walking past on the lobby when I came across the two new God Eaters assigned to the Far East Branch. They saw me looking at them so they approached me.

"How's it been lately, Maxwell, Maria?" I was curious as to how the two were doing. The two were assigned to the Second Unit.

"It was hard at first, but we're slowly starting to get the hang of it." Maria replied.

"Being a God Eater is all about surviving. It all amounts to nothing if you die in the end. Don't run away from living, right?" Wallace added. His last words suddenly truck me somewhere.

"Don't run away from living?" I repeated.

"That's right; you told us those words when you accompanied us on our first mission. It's because of those words that I can be the God Eater I am now." Wallace answered.

Those were the same words I told Lindow when he was about to give up and surrender himself to the Aragami controlling him.

It's a good thing that we're starting to have more and more promising God Eaters. I'm sure that they'll be outstanding God Eaters someday, especially under Tatsumi's leadership. After those short exchange of words, I left them and headed towards the Director's lab.

On the way to the Director's lab, I happened to come across Licca. It seems that she was just had a word with the Director inside.

"Oh, I was just about to look for you!" She told me. She was looking happy. I can imagine this is a good news because she's really lively. "I've got some good news for you."

I guess the good news came with whatever Licca talked with the Director.

"The _Project Slayer Prototype God Arc Version 2.0_ has just been finished!" My ears suddenly flapped after hearing Licca's good news. She must have worked hard to finish the God Arc overnight. "_August and Caesar_ is waiting for you in my place."

"August and Caesar?" I asked her.

"Oh, that's the name I gave the God Arcs -August for the Short Blade and Caesar for the Long Blade. The names are meant to complement the name you gave to its system, the Nero System." She explained. I can't wait to see what the new God Arc. "I made it especially durable so it can handle the Nero System."

If the new prototype can handle the system better this time, it's going to be a powerful God Arc then. I can't wait to test it out as soon as possible.

"Can I see it now?" I asked Licca. Unfortunate, she shook her head.

"I did say that it was done, but I'm still doing some maintenance work on it. Don't worry though, it won't take long before I'm completely done with it. Once I'm done, I'll give you a call immediately." Licca replied. Wow, Licca is really unparalleled when it comes to God Arcs. She's really a great asset of the Far East Branch.

I watched Licca as she walked past me and headed for the elevator. I turned around and entered the Director's lab as soon as the elevator door closed.

_-Director's lab-_

I feel like I need to know as much as I can about Genesis, so we can prepare for them. Right now, I believe that it's only the Director and I who know about the possibility of them being our enemy. I don't know if I should tell this to Lindow and the others once they get back from their mission, but I really think we should. We've fought all those battles together, so I think this one is not a fight the Director should face alone.

"Director Paylor." I went inside and looked for the Director. As usual, he was still busy going through his work. I've never seen him not working.

"Oh, what brings you here?" He asked. I think this is the right time to ask him about Genesis.

"I need to know everything I need to know about Genesis." I asked.

Director Paylor stopped with his work and looked at me straight in the eye. "What makes you believe there's something else you need to know about them?"

"Well, all you've told me was about the past existence of Genesis and how you're involved with them in the past. I still have no idea what Genesis was doing, specifically speaking." I asked. For some reason, the Director smiled at me.

"While I was involved with Genesis, I worked trying to find a way for humans and the Aragami to coexist. That idea brought forth Shio." I suddenly remembered the Aragami girl we protected from the former Director Johannes von Schicksal.

Suddenly, the Director laughed. "However, there were other ambitious scientists who aimed to create an Aragami that could be tamed, one that will be eventually used as a biological superweapon."

"In the end, it's like the Genesis is just a group of people who came in together because they were all interested with the Aragami." I pointed out. It was only now that I understand the meaning of this.

"That's right. Genesis was not like Fenrir who came together and was formed with a single, firm, solid goal in mind: the eradication of the Aragami." Director Paylor added.

Suddenly, a face of a man flashed before my mind. His face was blurred and I couldn't make out the details.

Director Paylor suddenly went through his desk and handed me a picture. "This is the only thing left that connects me with Genesis."

It was a picture of a group of scientists wearing the same white lab coat. In the middle, however, was a familiar man I think I saw before. Unlike the scientists in this picture, he was wearing a white coat and a black shirt inside. He had a red necktie loosely hanging around his neck, and his blond hair was neatly swept back.

"_What do you think of the Aragami?"_

The question suddenly rang in my head. I suddenly remembered something from the accident that happened to me that made me like this. I quickly pointed the man in the picture and showed him to the Director.

"I think I may have met this man before; on the day I had my accident, to be specific." I told the Director. I can easily read the expression in the Director's face that it's not good.

"Are you sure its him?" Director Paylor tried to confirm.

"I'm not really sure, since I can't clearly remember his face, but I have a strong feeling that it's him." I replied. The Director remained silent for a moment as he was in deep thought about something.

"Among the members of Genesis, he was the one who wanted the coexistence between the Aragami and humans the most. He'd always say how the _Aragami are a part of God's creation_, and the responsibility left by God to us humans that we must protect everything on this world, including the Aragami." The Director told me. This person is seeing the picture on an entirely different view from us. He's ignoring the threat the Aragami brings to us humans.

"What's his name?" I asked the Director. It seems that he's hesitating on telling me more about this person. I don't want to get involved in this as well, but this might have something to do with what's happening to me right now, so I think I have the right to know.

"Linnaeus Artemis, founder of Genesis." The Director replied. I'm assuming that this is one of the _core people_ who managed to escape after Director Paylor tipped them of Fenrir's incoming attack.

After that, the Director remained silent and refused to tell me anything anymore. Since there's nothing more I can do at the moment, I stepped outside and gave the Director some time to think. At least I was able to identify one of the possible enemies we are facing right now. So, he's Linnaeus Artemis, the founder of Genesis.

_-main lobby-_

I sat around and waited for the First Unit to return from their mission. They were ordered to hunt down a new-type Aragami that was sighted not too long ago. I badly want to be with them and help them fight, but I can't. Right now, the only thing I can do is wait and hope for their safety.

"What did you say?" Suddenly, Hibari exclaimed out of the blue. I stood up and rushed to her counter to find out what's going on.

I can read from Hibari's expression that bad things are happening right now. Please don't tell me it's about the First Unit.

I asked Hibari about the current situation, and it seems that the Second Unit has found themselves in a bit of trouble. While protecting the Aragami wall, a second wave of Aragamis arrived and ambushed the unit. Right now, they're trying to hold out the Aragami from infiltrating the wall, but they won't be able to hold on for much longer.

I can't sit by and wait in here like this. I grabbed the communication from Hibari against her will.

"Tatsumi, can you hear me?" I shouted. All I can hear from the other side is static noise.

"Wait, what are you doing there? I thought the First Unit was out on a mission?" Tatusmi replied.

"Let's talk about that later. I need your status." I told him.

"Right now, we're being attacked by a second wave of Aragami, mainly consisted of different variants of Zygotes. The problem here is because there's damn too many of them!" Tatsumi reported.

This isn't good.

Hibari told me that the Second Unit has been protecting the wall for at least an hour now. A fight that long is not good. I'm pretty sure that most of them are exhausted just by fighting off the first wave of Aragami. I'm sure that the Second Unit won't be able to hold on for too long.

That is, if I don't do something right now.

"Tatsumi, please try and hold out for as long as you can; I'm coming there."I told Tatsumi.

"You can't! You don't have a God Arc to use at the moment, and Tsubaki insisted on not letting you take any missions without her consent!" Hibari told me. Right now, I can't worry about that.

"The lives of the Second Unit are in danger here! Right now, only I can don something about it. I'm going to worry about Tsubaki later!" I answered Hibari. I then left the main lobby and rushed to find Licca.

I arrived at Licca's workshop in no time, and fortunately I found her there working on the prototype version two.

"Licca, I need the God Arcs now! Tatsumi and the others need my help." I told Licca.

"But I'm not yet done with the necessary adjustments. I'm not sure if they'll function properly just yet." Licca replied. This isn't good.

"Then there must be something I can take!" I asked.

Licca was suddenly thinking about something. "Caesar is impossible, but maybe you can take August for now."

Having the Short Blade is more than enough to deal with the Zygotes. "I'll take it."

Licca handed over the August. I quickly noticed the changes made, especially in the design. It feels heavier than before, but not significantly. The God Arc had a new steel theme finish to it, which is to my liking. I checked the God Arc and swung it around a little, and found it more than perfect.

"This is more than enough." I murmured, before taking off.

I left Licca's place and headed towards Tatsumi and the others. I hope I make it in time. Please hold on until I get there, Tatsumi!


End file.
